344 killed in human-wildlife conflict in Kerala since 2021: Minister Bhupendra Yadav

New Delhi: A total of 344 people have lost their lives in human-animal conflicts across Kerala between 2021 and 2025, Environment and Forest Minister Bhupendra Yadav informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Yadav detailed the causes of these fatalities, stating that 180 deaths were due to snake bites, 103 from elephant attacks, and 35 from wild pig encounters. Additionally, four deaths were attributed to tiger attacks.

"We have to maintain a balance between the protection of human life and environment," Yadav said.

The minister highlighted ongoing efforts to address the issue, including plans to develop the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) in Coimbatore into a scientific hub for human-wildlife conflict research. He also mentioned initiatives such as identifying elephant corridors, conducting elephant population estimates, raising local awareness, and collaborating with the Railways to map elephant movement routes.

Yadav further informed the House that village panchayats in Kerala have been empowered to cull wild boars in affected areas. He cited instances in Palakkad district where local bodies had taken action to control the wild boar menace.